Cleaning Vox Grille Cloth

[dgwguitars]

I just received a '67 Vox Buckingham bought on a eBay auction. Other than a DOA reverb and a non-functioning "on" light, it's fully functional and even has the original trolley. It doesn't have the footswitch, but that's not a big deal, since it's the same as the one for my Viscount. One thing that it also has is more grime than I've seen on an amp in years, but then it is 42 years old. I've already cleaned up the control panel and knobs and will move on to the vinyl. I'm really leery about cleaning grille cloth, which is dusty / dirty. I'd rather not replace it, but have no idea of how to clean it. Anyone have any experience with this?

Larry

[jingle_jangle]

There are almost as many types of grille cloth as there are types of fabric, Larry...Fender was smart beginning in 1960 and started using the synthetic that we know so well, which is woven from extruded monofilament and which wears like iron. It's also a snap to clean, as the monofilament does not trap dirt like ordinary thread and sheds dust, too, better than actual cloth.

The VOX, OTOH...is a synthetic fabric, but it's multifilament-woven, so it traps dirt. I'm surprised there's not more fading of the black cloth...the brown fades more.

Cleaning: vacuum first to get out the majority of dust, which turns to mud and dulls the colored threads. For the most thorough cleaning, the panel holding the speaker should be removed. It's then safe to use some 409. Don't scrub or brush but use the 409 to lift the dirt, then rinse with cool water. Don't let it soak in the water rinse (stand it vertically so the water runs off), as the plywood is not exterior glue and will fray if left to soak.

But, if you're gonna remove the panel, why not just re cover it? The correct cloth is still being made and is available on Ebay as well as places like ampwares.com.

[jps]

Here is some.

[jingle_jangle]

It's $85.00 per yard from Mojotone.

In case you want a smaller piece, here's a 21" X 36" on Ebay for $25.00 BIN:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vox-Black-Diamond-g ... 0363473730

[dgwguitars]

Thanks for the advice. I actually went ahead and used some carpet cleaning granules that came with a Dyson vacuum, and it turned our reasonably. I may at some point replace the cloth, but for now I'll leave it as-is.